Matt Capps Biblical Theology, Christian Theology, Christianity, Culture, Faith, Gospel, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Pastoral Ministry, Philosophy, Religion, The Gospel Project, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

A God-Centered Worldview (Blog Series)

tgp_blogheader_oct13-Copy

In correlation with the Winter Gospel Project adult and student study The Gospel Project team has lined up a great series of blog posts that will encourage you to dig deeper and reflect on some of the most important topics and issues facing Christians today.

Enjoy!

Matt Capps Biblical Theology, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, LifeWay, Pastoral Ministry, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

A Deeper Look at Spiritual Growth

Explore-God-static-banner

I recently wrote an article for Explore God titled “A Deeper Look at What the Bible Says About Spiritual Growth”. Explore God is a website that publishes credible content for people with spiritual questions and curiosities. Here is the conclusion to my article.

Richard Lovelace aptly observed that “self knowledge and self-fulfillment are considered to be the core of human achievement” when it comes to spiritual growth in contemporary religious and mainstream spirituality.41 He added, “The search for these goals has produced a lot of people who are at best self-preoccupied and at worst obnoxiously self-assertive.”42 That is, many routes to spiritual growth generate nervous self-concern or overabundant spiritual pride. But this need not be so. An honest assessment of one’s spiritual state and attempts at spiritual growth will lead to an awareness of one’s limits. While there may be many different spiritual paths today, the Christian gospel offers a uniquely satisfying road to spiritual growth.

Because Christian spiritual growth is focused and dependent on God’s gracethrough Jesus Christ, the gospel allows one to avoid self-occupation and insufferable self-assertion. Christians may avoid nervousness and pride in spiritual growth by returning to the good news of Jesus—namely, that they are secure in their spiritual status before God based on Jesus’ work alone, not their own. The gospel is the true foundation of spiritual growth. Rooted firmly in the gospel, spiritual growth proceeds through the power of the Holy Spirit, directed by prayerful Bible reading within the context of a robust church community.

I encourage you to read the whole thing here.

Matt Capps Christian Theology, Christianity, Culture, Faith, Gospel, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Pastoral Ministry, The Gospel Project, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

Pastors, Preach Through The Gospel Project This Winter…?

Why is planning your preaching important?

Sunday comes every week, which is 52 times a year. Preaching pastors know that one of the inevitable realities of ministry is that sermon preparation cannot be postponed. For this reason it is particularly important to plan a preaching schedule. While determining a preaching strategy requires thought and energy, it also allows you to organize and use their time more efficiently in weekly sermon preparation. When the schedule is set one doesn’t have to carry the weight of “what’s next?” from week to week. Taking time to plan extended pulpit work can provide the parameters you needs to prepare and preach more effectively. I tend to agree with Spurgeon who argued that habitually entering “… into the pulpit unprepared is unpardonable presumption (Lectures to My Students).”

I’ve heard some contend that planning a preaching schedule in advance could squelch the Holy Spirit. Their argument assumes that the Holy Spirit will only move “in the moment.” Mark Dever rightly opposes this assumption by writing that “… of course He does that sometimes [moves in the moment], but that’s not the only way He does it. The Holy Spirit also moves and directs months in advance when planning a preaching schedule (Preach: Theology Meets Practice).”

What is your plan for the winter?

M00050082There are many ways to approach series preparation. One is that you work through a book of the Bible and move chapter by chapter through that book, like “A Walk through Exodus.” Another is that you work systematically through a section of a book, like a series on “The Sermon on the Mount.” Or you can develop a series of sermons dealing with a particular topic or aspect of the Christian life and living. Let me first state that I am not a proponent of topical expository preaching, however I do think it has its place in preaching. One doesn’t want the felt needs of the congregation to drive the preaching schedule. John Stott once wrote, “… if we become exclusively preoccupied with answering the questions people are asking, we may overlook the fact that many of them often ask the wrong questions and need to be helped to ask the right ones (Between Two Worlds).”

With that said, it is important to address personal and cultural issues head on once and a while. Sermons ought to come from Scriptural texts, and it is important to answer cultural questions directly from a biblical framework. Honestly, developing a series on particular topics can be the most time consuming method of series planning. However, one approach to developing a topical series is to adapt an outline from a book or some other resource.

A Proposal for Preaching “A God-Centered Worldview”

As the brand manager of The Gospel Project I am going to unashamedly encourage you to consider developing a series of sermons to coincide with the adult and student winter study of The Gospel Project: A God-Centered Worldview (Also see Leader Guide).

The first reason I propose this sermon series is that preaching alongside a curriculum sequence not only aligns preaching to small groups, it also allows the preachers to encourage small group participation, and permits for more thoughtful group discussion following the sermon since all of the participants have read about the topic. As for The Gospel Project’s winter study for adults and students, the units are broken up so that one can actually develop three series from the curriculum with four to five sermons in each. Here are some of the topics covered in The Gospel Projectwinter study. I have adapted the lesson titles to be sermon titles as if I were going to preach them myself.

A Biblical Worldview

  1. Does Having a Christian Worldview Matter? (Romans 12:1-2)
  2. What is the Difference Between Man-Centered vs. God-Centered Living? (Exodus 33:19-23, 34:5-9; 2 Corinthians 3:12-18)
  3. How Did We Get the Bible? (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
  4. Can We Trust the Bible? (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 2:1-3, 3:23-38)
  5. Is Christianity Is Unique Among the Religions? (John 14:1-11)

The Big Questions

  1. Does Life Have Meaning Without God? (Ecclesiastes 3:16-20, 4:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19)
  2. Is The God of The Bible a Good God? (Deuteronomy 7:1-5; Matthew 15:21-28)
  3. Why Do We Suffer? (Job 1:20-22; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; James 1:24)
  4. Is Hell Real or Necessary? (Exodus 9:13-17; Luke 16:19-31; Romans 10:11-17)

The Big Debates

  1. What is God’s View of Sex? (Genesis 2:8-9, 15-25; Luke 5:29-32; Romans 1:21-28)
  2. What is God’s View of Marriage? (Matthew 19:1-9; 1 Corinthians 7:1-9; Ephesians 5:22-33)
  3. Is Human Life Sacred? (Genesis 9:5-6; Jeremiah 1:5; Acts 22:1-5)
  4. Should We Care for Others and the World? (Genesis 9:8-17; Matthew 6:19-21, 24; 2 Corinthians 8:1-4)

The Preaching Plan as Evangelism and Discipleship Tool

The second reason I encourage you to consider adopting this preaching plan is that this particular study lends itself well to be used in evangelistic conversations and for directional discipleship. If you commit to this plan it enables you to publish a preaching schedule for your church in advance. A preaching schedule not only allows your people to read in advance, it also allows the Holy Spirit to begin working in their hearts beforehand. Therefore, the people gather with their own questions and insights, allowing for greater listening.

The preaching plan can also be used as a tool allowing your church members the opportunity to begin spiritual conversations on these topics with their family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. If they have a non-Christian friend who might be interested to hear about a particular topic a natural invitation can be issued. As LifeWay Research has shown us, 67 percent of Americans say a personal invitation from a family member would be very or somewhat effective in getting them to visit a church. Also, 56 percent of Americans say a personal invitation from a friend or neighbor would be very or somewhat effective in getting them to visit a church. With provocative topics such as the ones listed above, I can only imagine that these statistics would be even higher.

Equip Your Church to Thoughtfully Engage the Public Square

The third reason I encourage you to consider adapting The Gospel Project lesson sequence for the winter is to train your church to thoughtfully engage the public square. In the last decade we have seen massive shifts in our culture, and not all Christians are equipped to respond to these changes form a particularly Christian perspective. A Christian worldview, perhaps its more precise to say a theistic worldview, could have been assumed 50 years ago, but that is not the case anymore. What was once culturally accepted is now rejected and even labeled as intolerant.

When asked how he prepared a Sunday sermon Karl Barth once said, “I take the Bible in one hand and the daily newspaper in the other.” Considering the content of today’s news, this quote is more timely than ever before. How would the members of your church engage the big questions and big debates of our time? Our churches need to be full of people who are grounded in the foundational doctrines that shape our identity as Christ followers. As Ed Stetzer argues in his editorial introduction to the winter material, “The big questions and big debates of our day find their answers not in the shifting views of the culture but in the steadfast, unchanging word of God.”

Matt Capps Christian Theology, Christianity, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Media and Technology, Pastoral Ministry, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

Ministry Grid: Training Made Simple

It’s finally here. Whether you have been waiting with baited breath or this is your first time hearing about it, Ministry Grid has launched. We are excited about this dynamic platform for training the church. We believe it will provide unprecedented opportunity for churches to develop leaders and servants in every area from the parking lot to the pulpit and are pleased to partner with them.

Ministry Grid bases their entire ministry on the vision of Ephesians 4:11-13:

“11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[a] and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. . .”

Their vision is to see churches built up and equipped to do the work of the Kingdom, and they have provided a unique and unparalleled resource to do this.

 WHAT IS MINISTRY GRID?

Ministry Grid is a customizable platform designed to help churches develop all their leaders, no matter which area they serve in. Ministry Grid makes training leaders simple with content available to leaders anytime, anywhere, while giving pastors unprecedented control and insight into how their people learn. Launching with more than 1,500 training videos for pastors, staff, volunteer leaders, and every-day church goers, Ministry Grid covers, or will cover, every topic a church needs from the parking lot to the pulpit.

HOW DOES MINISTRY GRID WORK?

Ministry Grid’s Learning Management System enables your church to customize training to fit the unique needs and goals of your people. Select built-in tracks, choose from Ministry Grid’s 1,500+ video sessions, or add videos to create your own customized training. With tracking and administrative tools, Ministry Grid allows leaders to assess an individual or group’s skill level, assign training content, and view progress. It is accessible from computers, tablets, and smartphones with a native app that allows offline training, so users can train anywhere, at any time.

WHAT DOES A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DO?

While video training itself is not a new concept, it has historically lacked a way to manage and track a user’s progress. A Learning Management System like Ministry Grid’s allows you to assign content and track the progress of every person using Ministry Grid in your ministry or organization. Ministry Grid’s Learning Management System gives unprecedented insight into how training is taking place, allowing you to easily view a group at a glance or see an individual’s progress, provide accountability, and measure effectiveness. Ministry Grid comes with built-in training tracks and assessment tools that can be customized according to your needs. You can also build your own.

WHO CAN USE MINISTRY GRID?

Ministry Grid is for the entire church, with pricing based on your church’s average weekly attendance. Content is organized into four areas of development—pastoral, church staff, lay leader/volunteer, and personal development—with a wide range of topics videos averaging 15 minutes in length. Ministry Grid works with churches of any size, and because you can upload your own content, there’s no limit to how you can utilize the platform. Ministry Grid is also perfect for organizations and non-profits that are developing Christian leaders on matters relevant to their ministry.

WHAT MAKES THE MINISTRY GRID PLATFORM SO SIGNIFICANT?

Ministry Grid is unprecedented in terms of the quantity, quality, and range of training content available. Every aspect is customizable according to your church’s needs, including the ability to skin the site with your own colors, drop in your logo and church branding, and upload your own content. You may also choose from Ministry Grid’s 1,500+ video sessions or disable access to content not relevant to your assigned users. No other training platform comes close in its ability to perfectly fit your specific needs.

CAN I USE MINISTRY GRID ON MY MOBILE DEVICE?

Yes. Ministry Grid features apps for iOS devices and Kindle Fire. The mobile app allows people to watch training content on the go. You can even download content to your device to watch when offline, and connect your mobile device to a project—perfect for churches that do not have wi-fi access readily available. The Ministry Grid app is a free download, but requires a Ministry Grid subscription to use.

http://www.ministrygrid.com/

Matt Capps Biblical Theology, Books, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Pastoral Ministry, Religion, The Gospel Project, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

The Importance of Biblical Community

Eric Geiger writes:

“Small groups in the life of a local church community are invaluable. This is why the writer of Hebrews admonished the early church to “…encourage each other daily, while it is still called today.” God uses community to supernaturally mature his people over time. He has designed us to grow together as a body. In many ways, Christian sanctification is a group project.

At LifeWay, we partner with pastors, writers, and ministry leaders to develop Bible studies for groups. In recent years, we have introduced or re-introduced ongoing Bible studies that are built around distinct starting points. While all of our studies are rooted in Scripture and focused on Christ, by clarifying unique group starting points we are able to bring greater focus to each line of studies.

For groups that want to start with real life issues and apply the Bible to those issues, we offer Bible Studies for Life. For groups who want to start with the text and walk through books of the Bible, we offer Explore the Bible. For groups that want to begin with theology to understand how the themes of Scripture fit together and point to Jesus, we offer The Gospel Project.

God has used the intentionality and focus to allow us to serve more groups/classes. While we have a great history at LifeWay, our ongoing Bible studies were on a 29-year decline. But in the last 18 months, the decline has turned. The Lord has been so good and gracious to us. We are honored to be serving groups/classes in churches around the world with trustworthy content.

If you are interested in The Gospel Project, we offer ongoing studies released every few months OR you can use the new small group study series. Regardless, The Gospel Project provides you with solid biblical theology along with missionally-driven application for your small group context.”

Matt Capps Biblical Theology, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Pastoral Ministry, The Gospel Project, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

Free eBook on “Christ-Centered Preaching and Teaching”

This past Wednesday The Gospel Project released a free eBook on Christ-centered preaching and teaching. We have been blown away by the initial response – thousands of people have already downloaded this free eBook. One thing is for certain, Christ-centered hermeneutics is a much debated issue in some theological circles. As Ed Stetzer noticed:

200px_ccpntcoverInterestingly enough, I have found that while many pastors argue for the importance of Christ-centeredness, there is disagreement on what it should look like. For this reason I recently asked several leading pastors and theologians to examine and discuss Christ-Centered preaching at my blog.

The pastors and theologians who discussed this issue in the eBook include:

Read and enjoy!

Matt Capps Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Pastoral Ministry, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

Pastoring Is Not a Very Glamorous Job

A recent interview with Eugene Peterson by Religion News Service’s Jonathan Merritt was a refreshing view into the iconic pastor’s life. Here is a great quote by Peterson on the pastoral vocation:

“… Pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.

The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want. And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.”

HT: Leadership Journal

Matt Capps Books, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, Life, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Pastoral Ministry, Personal, Religion, Theology

New Book: Michael Kelley’s “Boring”

My friend and co-worker (and fellow fruit flavored candy lover) Michael Kelley has written an extremely helpful book titled Boring. Not only is Michael a good writer, he is also a good thinker. He applies these two God given gifts to challenge our perceptions of everyday average life.

“What if we are looking so hard for these grandiose experiences of significance that we are missing the opportunities for significance right in front of us,” he writes. “What if there is no such thing as ordinary when you follow an extraordinary God?” (8)

In Boring, Michael seeks to reorient the reader to this important and often neglected truth. Too many of us fear that our lives will be ordinary. However, for the Christian, an ordinary life is a paralyzing myth. If you are a follower of Christ – you are the child of a God that is anything but ordinary. The God of the Bible is the God who created, sustains, and providentially directs all things – including the seemingly mundane details of your life. This is not an abstract theological truth that has no impact on your daily activities, but should shape every aspect of your life.

boring-michael-kelleyThe problem is that too many of us miss what God is doing in the valley, because we are longing for the mountain top experience. However, all of us know that the majority of the Christian life is lived in the valley. According to Kelley, “…The truth is that we will all spend 90 percent of our time here on earth just doing life. Just being ordinary.” So, the heart of the problem is not with the routines of life, but with our understanding and expectations of them. Kelley argues that we should reorient our thinking to see the profound nature of our extraordinary God, and how that impacts the activities of daily life.

“What if God actually doesn’t want you to escape from the ordinary, but to find signifi­cance and meaning inside of it?”

The question isn’t whether or not God is present and active; the question is just how aware we are of that presence and activity.

“This greater reality is happening right in the middle of the ordinary people, singing in their off-key kind of way, trying to wrangle their ornery children. In the middle of the mundane there is something of cosmic significance going on…A regular life isn’t just a series of physical times and moment strung together; it’s a progression of being formed into the image of Jesus…Because an extraordinary and active God is there, constantly working, there is no such thing as ordinary anymore.”

Pick up this book and read. Prayerfully, Michael will show you how to see every relationship, every act of kindness, and every moment for what it is: a part of God’s exciting plan for your life.

Matt Capps Biblical Theology, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Pastoral Ministry, Religion, The Gospel Project, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

Teaching a Class on The Doctrine of Humanity

Next week I will begin teaching a class on the doctrine of humanity with Philip Nation at The Fellowship, Two Rivers. The class will last 8 weeks and will roughly follow the outline of The Gospel Project’s Fall study titled “Bearing God’s Image”.

  • August 21st – Created to Reflect: Reflecting the Image of God
  • August 28th – Created to Relate: Relating to God, Others, and the WorldTGP
  • September 4th – Created to Work: Vocation and Labor
  • September 11th – Created to Rest: Resting from Work, Resting in Christ
  • September 18th – Created to Rule: Authority in Representing God
  • September 25th – Living in Redemption: Salvation and Sanctification
  • October 2nd – Learning to Trust: Perseverance and Assurance
  • October 9th – Longing for Restoration: Future Glorification

If you are in the Nashville area, come and join us!

It is an honor to serve on The Gospel Project team! I am excited to join over 400,000 other believers who will dig into this study over the next few months.

In my preparation for the class I have found several resources helpful, and wanted to share them here.

  1. John Hammett’s chapter on “The Doctrine of Humanity” in A Theology for the Church, edited by Daniel Akin. Hammett’s chapter is a great introductory work on this topic.
  2. Also, check out Anthony Hoekema’s book Created in God’s Image. Hoekema’s work is an excellent volume for someone who would like to dig a little deeper into the doctrine of humanity.
  3. Charles Sherlock’s book The Doctrine of Humanity in the Contours of Christian Theology series is also a great resource to have in your library. While Sherlock’s work the most dense of these three, its scope and depth is well worth its weight.

If you are teaching through The Gospel Project this fall, be sure to check out these resources which we have made available at The Gospel Project’s website.

Consider the words of one theologian, “…our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” My prayer is that we would come to know God in this study, and come to know ourselves in the way God has created us and redeemed us to be.

Matt Capps Biblical Theology, Christian Theology, Christianity, Faith, Gospel, Life, LifeWay, LifeWay Church Resources, Personal, Religion, The Gospel Project, The Southern Baptist Convention, Theology

Why Do We Need Physical Rest?

TGPblog315x851final

This was originally posted at The Gospel Project site. To see the entire series click here.

The Need for Physical Rest

As we get older, it is inevitable that we will wear down physically. In turn, our need for rest and recuperation becomes more noticeable. At least, that’s been my experience in the last few years. When I do not get as much rest as I need, I become impatient and irritable towards my family and friends. So, the older I get, the more I cherish rest. Many nights I collapse into the bed exhausted, and sink into the mattress from the weight of the day’s activity.

Physical rest repairs and rebuilds the body and mind. When we exert ourselves physically or mentally, we long for the restoration of our energy. Researchers have shown that both the physical stress of manual labor and even the emotional stress of a desk job require subsequent rest for the body and mind to recuperate.

Many of us need more rest; we live in a culture that forfeits rest to chronically overwork. Studies have shown that the average American doesn’t get nearly enough sleep for what their body requires to function at peak performance. This scientific information is good and all, but research can only offer observations about rest and our need for rest. The Bible, on the other hand, can actually offer the deeper reasons for unrest and lasting motivations for rest.

A Theology of Rest?

What actually drives us to unrest is rooted in our hearts, usually idolatry. For example, the workaholic sacrifices rest to the god of success, power, and productivity. This pattern can be seen in almost all areas of our life. The good news is, God is not silent about our need for rest nor has He left us without good reason or motivation for rest. The Bible is very clear that humans need rest, and interestingly enough, rest teaches us something about God.

Physical Rest is a Gift from God

God building in the need for rest in the lives of His creatures is a gift of grace. In Psalm 127, we read that God “gives to His beloved in his sleep.” The nights that I sleep well lead to mornings when I am most refreshed and days that I am most productive. Let’s face it; the anxieties of everyday life can wear us down to the point of physical and emotional fatigue. I am thankful that the infinite God granted this finite man the need for rest. In fact, it is impossible for a finite being like you and I to live well without rest.

Physical Rest Reminds us that We are not God

Again, the psalmist proclaims that God will “neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4). How different from us? We need rest. If we do not rest it has massive implications for our physical, emotional, and mental health. However, God does not need rest. Not only is God all-powerful (not needing rest), He is ever-watchful (watching us while we rest). For some of us it is a scary thing to consider that we lay down all control and consciousness when we sleep. The most powerful people in all of humanity spend a third of their lives asleep, as helpless as an infant, and the world still progresses. Simply put, we are not God.

Physical Rest requires us to Relinquish Control

God handles the world quite well while on His own. God is sovereign over our world while we are awake, even more so when we are at rest.  John Piper once said, “…Sleep is like a broken record that comes around with the same message every day: Man is not sovereign.” We’ve all heard the hard worker wax all self-righteously about his/her early morning and late night working hours, as if they run the world. How silly. It’s better to work well and sleep well, rather than to sacrifice rest in an effort to stay in control.

Lying Down and Laying it Down

God intended sleep to be a gift, a time every day where we remind ourselves that we are not God, and that God is in control. If you are like me, you probably have trouble sleeping when you are worried about something. Well, Jesus is pretty clear on the fact that worrying accomplishes nothing (Matthew 6:27-29).

So, I’ve learned that when I lie down to sleep it helps me to say to myself, “God, I am powering down, even though there is a ton to do, and lots to worry about, You are awake, working, and in perfect control, so I trust You to handle what I can’t.” It helps me rest well knowing that everything is in His hands.